Should I be worried?

Use this forum to discuss general questions about any aspects of tortoise care.
Post Reply
Quasi
Posts: 16
Joined: 30 Mar 2021, 08:15

Should I be worried?

Post by Quasi » 05 Apr 2022, 08:49

I am concerned that my tortoise may not be defecating. He is an adult, 25+ but has always been small, weighing around 550 grams.

He was hibernated as usual with no problems and has been kept in his indoor tortoise table pretty much since he came out due to the poor weather (mid March) apart from a couple of short spells in his outdoor enclosure when it was warmer. He has been eating well since coming out of hibernation. Temperatures have been checked in his tortoise table, around 30 -31 in basking spot, 20 elsewhere. He has a water dish and I have been bathing him most days to encourage him to do a poo. He has been producing lots of urates. He has done one very small poo since he came out but I am concerned it’s not enough. (His substrate is topsoil mixed with sand but I do find it hard sometimes to see his poo as it’s not always obvious. The last lot of topsoil I got had a lot of very small stones etc. I normally sieve it but this time didn’t towards the end as it was such hard work and now wish I had. It is possible he did a poo in his outdoor enclosure which I didn’t find as there are a lot of plants in there (tortoise friendly ones) but that would’ve been two weeks ago at least.
I know it can take a while for food to work through the digestive system but I am worried there could possibly be a blockage. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

Thank you.
Quasi

Apologies- I posted this under the wrong section initially so it’s also under Guidelines!

User avatar
Nina
Posts: 2003
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Should I be worried?

Post by Nina » 05 Apr 2022, 10:11

Hi Quasi,

Good to hear from you, and sorry that your tortoise might have a digestive problem. It's really difficult to say, but if he came out of hibernation in mid-March, he certainly should have defecated by now, especially if he has been eating well.

If he is 550g then you should be able to see the poos. Could he be trampling them into the substrate? They do tend to hold together for quite a while, so if you took an old spoon or something and ran it around the substrate to see if anything poo-sized comes up, then you might find something. It is, of course, possible that he did poo outside and you didn't see it, but if he has been indoors most of the time and eating well, then he should have defecated. Have you kept a record of his weight since he woke from hibernation? I'm just thinking that aside from putting on any weight he lost in wind down and hibernation, if he is eating and not defecating then he should weigh maybe a bit more than you would expect, because he is retaining it.

I wouldn't worry too much about the small stones. I get them too, and just pick out the odd one that happen to see, and don't forget that outdoors and in their natural habitat in the wild there are loads of little stones.

Do you have any edible succulents in the garden -- sedum, sempervivum, etc. that you could give him? Eating a lot of succulents does tend to lead to produce looser poos and could help with a blockage, and you could also try some food that is high in water (cucumber, lettuce, etc.) just as a temporary measure. Check that the succulent you feed is a good one (almost all sedums are OK, as are sempervivums (house leeks), opuntia cactus pads, etc. If he is blocked a bit then that could help to loosen him up.

Let us know how you get on, and if he continues to not defecate then do you have a good reptile vet you could take him too?

Nina
No problem with the other posting -- I've deleted it so that there is no confusion.

Quasi
Posts: 16
Joined: 30 Mar 2021, 08:15

Re: Should I be worried?

Post by Quasi » 05 Apr 2022, 14:12

Hello Nina,
Thank you for responding so quickly and with some very helpful advice. I have given him some lettuce which he scoffed immediately so I will await the results with hopeful anticipation! I will look into your other suggestion re food and have a rake through the substrate with a spoon. I keep a record of his weight so can check that too.
If there is no result in the next couple of days, I will take him to the vet. We have a reptile vet nearby.
Many thanks again,
Quasi

User avatar
Nina
Posts: 2003
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Should I be worried?

Post by Nina » 05 Apr 2022, 22:05

Hi Quasi,

Good luck and please let us know how you get on. If you do have some succulents like sedum to feed him, that might be more effective than lettuce, but it all helps. Just a note -- as I'm sure you know, lettuce doesn't have a lot of nutritional value, so it shouldn't be fed regularly, but as a means of getting some water into him it might help.

That's great that you have a good reptile vet near you. Would you happen to know if they are on our list of recommended vets? If they aren't there, and you think this is a really good vet, we'd be happy to add them. https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... kyu5zXTWM8

Nina

Quasi
Posts: 16
Joined: 30 Mar 2021, 08:15

Re: Should I be worried?

Post by Quasi » 06 Apr 2022, 07:58

Hi Nina,
Thanks for your email. I gave him lettuce although he never normally has it as part of his diet but I remembered this morning we have a small prickly pear plant (though he has always turned his nose (beak!) up at it in the past when he has been given any) so I offered him a bit of that too. No result yet but hopefully this may ease things along!
I went through his substrate with a spoon last night but without success.
My vet is on your list so if nothing happens in the next day or so, I will give them a ring. I would rather see the vet unnecessarily than leave it too late.

Thank you once more for your help.

I love this site!

Quasi

User avatar
Nina
Posts: 2003
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Should I be worried?

Post by Nina » 06 Apr 2022, 09:29

Hi Quasi,

You're doing all the right things, and hopefully you'll see a result soon. If not then I agree that it's better to see the vet unnecessarily, rathe than wait and risk a blockage building up. Good luck!

Nina

Quasi
Posts: 16
Joined: 30 Mar 2021, 08:15

Re: Should I be worried?

Post by Quasi » 06 Apr 2022, 17:56

Great result! I'd never thought of Reptoboost to encourage defecation -- only as an energy boost for tortoises that are poorly. It's got probiotics and electrolytes in it and it helps to balance ph levels, especially if the tortoise has had diarrhoea or his immunity system is weak. But I've now noted that it can help with constipation too. I just copied this description from the manufacturer's (VetArk) site, in case it's of some help to others.


Reptoboost is a carefully blended mixture of glucose and maltodextrins for energy, electrolytes, vitamins and probiotics to help debilitated reptiles as a pick-me-up. Reptoboost in the drinking water will provide the extra energy needed by animals that may be under veterinary treatment, stress, or for tortoises for post-hibernation recovery.

Its high palatability means it can be added to the drinking water, making its use simple for all species of reptiles including lizards, snakes and tortoises. Reptoboost can also be administered by stomach tube when rehydrating reptiles that have become dehydrated.

Reptoboost contains probiotic organisms which live for a short time in the gut, this helps to stabilise the pH levels so that the reptile to re-establish the correct balance. The electrolytes present aid in maintaining adequate levels in reptiles with diarrhoea (during periods of diarrhoea they are losing electrolytes at a fast pace). The maltodextrins in the blend provide sustained energy rather than just a short burst.

Recommended and used by veterinary surgeons, Reptoboost is important for reptiles receiving veterinary treatment. During these times the normal gut flora may be unbalanced, and a breakout of harmful bacteria may occur, causing other health problems.

Nina

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 21 guests